Gypsum-block machine



Nov. 20, 1928. 1,692,420

. G. H. A. RUBY GYPSUM BLOCK MACHINE Filed Oct. 51, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet1 a lnoenfor MM- ssfi c5 Nl'omem Nov. 20, 1928., 1,692,420

G. H.- A. RUBY GYPSUM BLOCK MACHINE Filed Oct. 51, 1927 s Shets-Sheet 2Nov. 20, 1928.

G. H. A. RUBY GYPSUM BLOCK MACHINE Filed Oct. 51, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet(\TIommSs GYPSUM BLOCK MACHINE Filed Oct. 51, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 @geHA. fiuba 5 Sheets-Sheet Nov. 20, 1928.

G. H. A. RUBY GYPSUM BLOCK MACHINE Filed 001;. 51, 1927 tion cont areused drier than would be the case with Patented Nov.- 20, 1928.

' GEORGE n. n. RUBY, or nasr GRAND narra e, MICHIGAN.

GYiPSUM-BLCCK Median-1n. j

Application area October 31, 19 27. "eiial No. 223,808.

Blocks of the character noted are of elongated rectangulariarallelepipied form and v ,5 made lengthwise there- 0 of to savematerial and lighten the blocks have spaced. ope

without material decrease ofstrength and, the same time, provide aircirculation openings whereby the blocks serve'better as heat insulatorsand keep a building in which they solid blocks- Myinvention consists inmany novel details and arrangements of.. parts-for making a machinewhereby quantity production of building bloc-ks made ofcementitiousmaterial 15.

had, the blocks having spaced elon ated op en- H ings .therethrough; toprovide mechanisms for drawing cores fromthe blocks,.said cores beingused in order to provide theelongated openings therethrough and to alsoprovide a means for drawing one end of each block form outwardly toleave a projecting end of the block free for engagement that .the samemay be grasped to take the block from the form set and hardened that itmay be removed.

An understanding of the invention, the mechanism embodying the same andthe objects and purposes thereof stated, as well'as many others not atthis time specifically set forth, will belhadf-rom the followingdescrip- I tion taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings,in-Wh-iczh', y Fig. 1 is aplan viewof one end ofthe block-makingmachine. l

Fig. 2 is .a -plan View of the opposite end of said machine. I

Figs, 3 and 4 are side elevations of the "respective ends of themechanism shown in plan in Figs. 1and2. y 1

Fig. 5 is an enlargedt-ransverse vertical section through the machinesubstantially midway between itsiends. 7 1 I Fig. 6 is a fragmentaryenlarged transverse vertical section of the upper-part of the machine.t-akensubstantially on the plane of line 66 of'Fig. 2. v g

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation. with parts 'brokenaw-ayand-shown in longitudinal section substantial-lyon the'plane of line'7-7of Fig. 2,.and a 0111 21 gypwhen it has been completed and issufliciently Fig. 8 is aperspec't-ive View of one of the gypsum blocksmade in the machine.

Like reference characters refer to like. parts i in the different fiures ofthe drawings.

In the construction of the machine, a frame 7 is provided including aplurality of vertical side posts 1 of. angle iron.

The posts at each side of themachine arespaced apart and connected toupper and lower horizontal tracks EZfalso of angle iron, thehorizontalflangesof which extend inwardly. The sides of the 3 frame madeup of the posts 1 and the angle bars 2 are connected together ,andheldin proper spaced relation by cross anglebars 3 and '3? fully shown inFigs. 3, 5 and 6'.

A plurality of flat bars 4, one for fe ach blockform in the machine, liebetween the track membersQ Each bar 4 at each end isy eqiiipped witharoller carriageb to ride onthe inwardly extending horizontal flange ofa track 2. The" flat bars l are connected in "proper spaced apartrelation to a pair ofconveyor chains dmade up .of pivotally. connectedlinks and provided withrol-lers 7at the pivotalconnections'of saidlinks. The chains run (around sprocket wheels 8, two of wh ch arelocated at each end of the machine,mounted on horizontal shafts 9 whichin turn are totatably carr ed-1n bearlngs 10 secured to vertical postsllforming a part of the framework of the machine andconnected .to the 1of theframe. previously described, One of the shafts 9,.th'e one atthedelivery end ofthe machine is extended outwardlyat one end and is drivenby an electricmotor 12',suitn mes,

able reduction gearing 13beingdisposed .be-

tween the motor and the shaft, whereby a continu'ous slow movement ofthe conveyor chains 6 takes place whenever the machine is in operation.The bars 4; move continuously with the chains over the horizontalflanges of the upper tracks 2 and around the sprocket fwheels 8 at thedelivery end of the, machine and back over the horizontal flanges of thelower tracks 2 to the wheelsSat the'opposite end of the machine.

' Above each of the bars l; toward one end thereof, a number ofspacing'blocks 14 are lo cated and secured to whichthebottoms 15 of theblock forms are connected. cThe parts 15 areof sheet metal and atone'side each carries vertical partition plate 16 pivotally mounted atits lower endgas best shown in Fig. [7. The plates 16 serve to dividethe blockforms from these next adjacent. Each block form has two ends'17 and 17 thelatter ofwhic'h is y in one position, abuts a permanentlysecured to the bar 4 over which it is located at one end of the bottom15. The

end 17 is provided at its lower edge with an during the time that the.ceinentitious material is being placed therein and while it is settingand hardening as it moves from the feeding end toward thedelivery end ofthe machine.

The end 17 is fixed and permanent with respect the bottom 15 of the formwith which it is associated. The end 17 is movably mounted upon a block20 which in turn is slidably mounted on and over its associated bar l,having spaced apart depending flanges 21. one extending downwardly ateach. side edge of the bar a, with a plate 22 secured to and lyingbetween said flanges 21 underneath the bar l. This provides a slidablemounting for the'block 20 and the attached end 17. The plate 18associated with each block 20 at its end carries a depending roller 23,as shown, mounted to turn about a ver- V tical axis.

At the opposite end of each form and beyond the permanent end member 17thereof, a second block 24 is slidably mount-ed above each of the bars4. The block is equipped with downwardly extending flanges 21* connectedby a cross plate 22 and each of the blocks 2-1 carries not only a lowerroller 26 similar to the roller 23 previously described but anupperroller 27 located directly over the roller 26. The blocks each carry anumber of cores 25. In the drawing four of sald cores are shown on eachblock 2% but in practice the number may be varied and will be equal tothe number of elongated openings which are made through a block. Thecores 25 extend inwardly from the inner end of each block 24, passthrough the openings 19 in the end member 17, extend lengthwise ofthe'form and are received in the openings 19 of the movable end member17 of a form. When the cores are withdrawn to the position shown in Fig.6, the free ends thereof rest and are supported in the openings 19 inthe relatively permanent end member 17 of each form.

Inasmuch as the weight supported by each bar at is quite heavy therollers 7 of the chains 6 are made to traverse tracks 28 attached to andsupported by angle bars 29 which lie lengthwise of the upper part of themachine on the cross bars 3 of the frame located be low the upper run ofthe conveyor, as shown in Fig. 5. In order to keep the bars 4 frombending or sagging down when they are at the lower run of the machine abracket 30 is permanently secured to each bil PP gainst the other end ofeach form, carryin a roller 31 which rides on a flange or a Z-oar 32located lengthwise of the machine and attached to other and lower crossbars of the machine frame. This also is fully shown in Jig. 5.

The cementitious material is delivered from the machine from anydelivery spout such as 33 in Fig. 3. of a cementitious mixture mixingapparatus entering the forms and. being leveled and smoothed at theupper sides of the forms by the leveling apparatus indicated as a wholeat 3a. This leveling apparatus is no part of the present invention beinfully covered by a previous patent granted to me. The feeding andleveling occurs adjacent one end of the machine which may be termed thefeeding end of said machine. When the cementitious material is deliveredto the forms the cores 25 are disposed in the forms between the ends 17and 17 thereof. The machine is approximately 90 feet in length and thefeeding and leveling of the material ta lies place at approximately 10feet from one end of the machine. The block forms move lengthwise of themachine toward its delivery end and carry the cementitious materialtherein which sets and hardens for between 50 to 60 feet or until thecore pulling mechanism of the machine is reached. The feeding andleveling of the cementitious material and the way the blocks are in theforms during the time that the initial set of the material takes placeis shown fully in 1..

As the upper run of the conveyor approaches the opposite or the deliveryend of the machine, the rollers 26 and 27 on the core carrying blocks 9Acome to a pair of cam bars 35 shown in Figs. 2 and 6 and ride againstthe outer sides of the vertical flanges thereof. It is evident that withthe movement of the conveyor toward the delivery end of the machine. thecores are first broken loose and then drawn outwardly until the freeends of the cores rest in the openings in the fixed cam bar 36 carriedon the cross bars 3 of the frame below the block forms and the movableend 17 will be moved outwardly a short distance or enough to move theflanges 18 beyond the ends of the blocks, leaving exposed undersides ofthe blocks at 37 (see Fig. 6) beyond the of the forms. The blocks 38 inthe forms have elongated openings 89 therethrough when the cores 25 havebeen withdrawn.

After the withdrawal of the cores and the movement of the movable end 17of a bloclr form has taken place, the cementitious material further setsdue to the exposure of the material of the blocks-around the openings 39to the air. There is approximately 10 or 15 feet of the length of themachine during adjacent ends of the bottoms 15 a which the bloc-ks withthe cores withdrawn take further set before the delivery of the blocksfrom the machine. I

As the chains 6 start to pass around th sprocket wheels 8 at thedelivery end the machine, the block forms separate and the verticalpartition'lfi tilts outwardly asshown in Fig. 7. The block may begrasped at one end at the exposed under side, indicated at 37, andwithdrawn from the bottom plate 15 and thustaken from the machine. V

T heconstr-uction described is very practical for the build m: ofcementitio-u-s building blocks particularly where a gypsum or plaster ofParis cementitiouscomposition is used. The drawing of the coresisaccomplished in a simple and practical 'rnanner and it, of course, is tobe understood that said cores and the movable ends l7'arereturnedtooperative position during the movement. of the conveyor on its under-runbefore it reaches the sprocket wheels at the feedingend of the machine,and the cores are held in position against any tendency to move outwardby horizontal bars shown in'Figs. 1 and 2 against the inner sides ofwhich the rollers 26 and I 27 ride. Similarly, the rollers 23 rideagainst the inner edges of like bars 40 to hold the movable-ends 7 inproper place with respect to the forms during the time that the formsare receiving the material and said material is initially set-v tingtherein, or until the withdrawal cam bars 35 and 36 are reached. g i

The exposure of one end of a block at its under side that it may begrasped by the hand to break the bond between a. block and the bottomplate 15 of the form in which it is made is a very necessary feature ofthe invention. Otherwise it is very hard to remove the blocks withoutbreakage. Suction, as it is called, or actually the air pressure forcingthe blocks against the bottoms of the form, is very heavy but the bondmay be readily broken by a pull applied to the lower side of a block atone end thereof; and this is permitted by reason of the construction ofblock form machine which I have made.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A consecutive series of blockforms, each comprising a bottom plate, avertical side plate pivotally connected to the bottom plate, an endmember permanently secured at one end of the bottom plate, a second endmember located at the opposite end of the bottom I plate and having aninturned flange, the upper side of which is flush with the upper side ofthe bottom plate, and means fOIfIllOLllllllIlg said second end memberfor movement toward or away from said bottom plate.

2. A block form comprising, a bottom plate, vertical sides, an endmember permanen-tly secured atone end of the bottom plate, a secondend-member located at the other end of the bottom plate and having anintur-ned flange at its lower end, the upper side of "which lies flushwith the upper side o-f-said bottom plate, and meansfor movablymountingthesecond end memberfor movement toward or away from thebott-omplate.

3. In a machine of the class described, an V endless conveyer, aplurality of bars located transversely of and connected to saidconveyer, a bottom plateattached to and lyingabove each bar, a verticalside plate at one side edge of each bottom plate pivetally connected atits lower end to the bottom plate, an end member permanently secured toeach bar at one end of the bottom plate, a second end member located atthe opposite'end of the bottom plate and having an intuined flange, theupper side of which is flush with the upp-er side of'said bottom plate,and means for inovably mount-' ing the second end member on the barwhereby it may be moved toward or away from the adjacent end of saidbottom plate.

4. In a machine of the class described an elongated supporting frame, ahorizontal shaftat each end of the frame, sprocket wheels on the shafts,endless conveyer chains running around said sprocket wheels, block formscarried by said conveyer chains, each including a bottom, a fixed endand a movable end mounted for movement toward or away from the adjacentend of said bottom plate,

and means for moving said movable end of each block form outwardautomatically as the conveyer, in the upper run thereof, approachestoward one end of the machine.

5. In a-construotion of the class described a supporting frame, ahorizontal shaft pivotally mounted at each end of the frame,

sprocket wheels on the shafts, a plurality of contiguous block formscarried by and located transversely of the conveyer chains, each formincluding a bottom plate, a vertical side pivotally connected at itslower end to'said bot-. tom plate, a fixed end secured at one end ofsaid bottom plate, said end having a plurality of openings therethrough,a movable end located adjacent the opposite end of said bot tom plateand likewise having a plurality of openings therethrough, meansfor'mount-ing said vmovable 'end for movement toward or away from theadjacent end of said bottom plate, a core oarryingblock movably mountedadjacent the fixed end of each block form, and a plurality of coresprojecting from the inner end of the core carrying block to pass throughthe openings of the fixed end of each block form and into the openingsof the movable end thereof, for the purposes described.

6. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 5, combined with means for automatically moving said core carryingblock and the cores thereon assoc-iated with each block form outwardlyas the upper run of the conveyer approaches toward one end of themachine, and means for automatically moving the movable end of eachblock form outwardly when the cores associated with said block form havebeen substantially withdrawn.

7. A block t'orni comprising a horizontal bottom plate, vertical sides,a fixed end permanently secured at one end of the bottom plate, a secondend located at the other end of the bottom plate, having an inwardlyprojecting portion, the upper side of which lies in the same plane withthe upper side of the bottom plate, and means for slidably mounting themovable end for movement toward or away from the adjacent end of saidbottom plate.

8. A continuous block making machine comprising, a continuous conveyer,a plurality of block forms located transversely of the conveyer, eachhaving a bottom, a vertical side pivotally connected at its lower end tothe bottom at one side edge thereof, a fixed end and a second endslidably mounted for movement toward or away from the adjacent end ofsaidbofitom said movable end having an inwardly extending flange, theup: per side of which is flush with the upper side of said bottom, meansfor automatically moving said movable end of each block form outwardlyat a predetermined point in the movement of said conveyer, and meanslying lengthwise of the conveyer and underneath the upper run thereofforsupporting the block forms and holding them againsttendency todownward sagging.

9. A constructioncontaining the elements in combination defined in claim8, combined with additional means for supporting the block forms whenthe same are at the under run of the conveyer to hold them againsttendency to sag downward.

In testimony v GEORGE H. A. RUBY.

whereof I affix my signature.

